A new youth center led by young people opened its doors in Salinas on Thursday.

Epicenter at 20 Maple Street aims to help teens who are being released from foster care.

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Rosi Anaya, 17, described her foster care experience.

"(It) wasn't pretty," Anaya said.

When Anaya got out, she was completely lost.

"I wanted to be independent, fill out resumes, or learn how to fill out job applications," Anaya said. But she felt a lot of fear that employers would think she was strange.

Anaya now hopes she can help kids like herself in Monterey County's first ever youth-led resource center.

Epicenter will provide resources and counseling, and will be staffed by Anaya and eight other young people between 17-24 years old who have experienced the turmoil foster care can bring.

"What young people normally get from their parents, someone to help them figure out housing, education, health, that a family normally takes care of, for many of our young people, they don't have that. What they've created tonight is a family," Epicenter coach Leslie Medine said.

An open house was held Thursday night with more than 200 people in attendance.

Monterey County is the fourth place to get such a center, modeled after the first successful location in Napa 10 years ago. Since then, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Salinas followed.

"It's not a hangout place. It's a place to come and figure out your life. How do I figure out how to become an independent adult? We do have a kitchen, and some people need to have a cup of coffee and talk to someone and keep their lives moving," Medine said.

Funding for Epicenter comes partly from Monterey County, private foundations, and individual donations.